Automatic fire extinguisher



Patented May 21, 1935 2,002,308 AUTOMATIC FIRE EXTINGUISHER I Leslie B. BurchfieliHouston, Tex. i Application September 6, 1932 Serial No. 531,759

4 Claims. (01. 169-26) My'invention relates to fire extinguishers and has particular. reference to the structure of the [wall support for the same and the particular structure of the container for the fire extinguishing fluid.

It, is an object of the invention to provide a suitable support for a fire extinguisher which acts also to retain the automatic device for releasing the fire extinguishing fiuid when a fire occurs. r

The invention also includes the supporting structure which has a bafile plate against which the fire extinguishing fluidmay be projected.

I also haveas an object to provide a container which will be free of corrosion and which will positively operate when the necessity therefor arises.

-In the drawing herewith I have shown a-preferred form of the invention in which Fig.1 is a side elevation of the container and the support therefor.

. Fig. 2 isa front elevation of the device disclosed inFig. 1.

Fig; 3 is a top plan view of a fusible link which I employ; and

Fig. 4 is a front edge view of the said link.

The container which I prefer to use for my fire extinguishing liquid, which may be of any desired composition, is preferably of glass. I employ a cylindrical container l, which I have shown rounded on its upper end at 2. The lower end is tapered downwardly to a point and has a solid projecting end 3, which, when broken ofi, will release the liquid from within the container. I prefer to form a scratch or groove 4 upon the projecting end 3 which will make it possible to more quickly break off the point 3, which closes the lower end of the container.

The support for this container may comprise a base 5 adapted to be secured to a wall, post or other support in the particular position where the device is to be placed. I form this support of a block of wood, the forward flattened face of which is adapted to serve as an attachment for the supporting brackets for the container.

Mounted upon this base I provide an upper bracket 6, which, aswill be seen from the drawing, is made of wire. This is formed into a loop to engage about the container, theends being twisted about each other and extended in a vertical line to bear against the base. Both ends are formed into eyelets I through which screws 8 can be entered to secure the bracket to the base, as will be clearly understood from the drawing.

The lower support for the container is a combined bracket and spring member, upon which the hammer is secured. This bracket is made up of wire in the same manner as is the upper bracket. It has an eyelet 9 at its upper end and -0 is extended downwardly at an inclination and formed with a circular loop l0 thereon of smaller diameter than is the container and shaped to fit about the lower tapered end of the container and support the same; I

The wire is extended inwardly from the loop and formed into a second eyelet i l through which a screw may be extended. From the eyelet the wire is extended directly downward and at a point spaced below the container the wire is curved into a doubleloop forming a, coil spring l2, and the free end beyond the spring is formed into an arm l3, which tends to extend outwardly from the support. I bring this free arm inwardly toward the base under the tension of the spring and place will be seen best in Figs. 3 and 4. It is made up of two small overlapping plates I6 and I1. Each plate has its end, which is remote from the adjacent plate, formed with a recess I8. Both these recesses have an opening l9 leading thereto from the same side of the link to receive the arms of the spring member. Where the plates overlap I fuse them together at 20 with a bond of fusible metal which will melt at a critical temperature occurring .when'the room in which the extinguisher is placed becomes overheated, due to fire or otherwise.

As will be seen from Fig. 1, the link which has been described is secured between the free arm 13 of the spring member and the downward ex-. tension 2| on the bracket. A curve or bend 22 is formed in the wire 2| at that point to bereceived within the recess l8 in the link. The arm l3 of the hammer is brought back and engaged within the other recess l8. It will be seen that the link holds the hammer arm under tension away from the point 3 on the container, but when the link is parted under heat the hammer will be released and will be thrown violently outward away from the support against the lower end of the glass container so as to break the same off along the line 4 and release the liquid which will be directed downwardly therefrom.

Below the container and the bracket I provide a bafile 23, which is shown as a circular disc which 55 may be concaved downwardly and formed with perforations therein. This bafile is mounted upon an arm 24, which is secured at 25 to the base below the container. As will be noted the baffle is inclined slightly downward so that the liquid striking against the baffle will be splashed outwardly and laterally so as to most effectively release the gas which may act to extinguish the fire.

I have shown a preferred form of my device but it will be obvious that the same may be varied in construction without departing materially from my invention. I have shown a device in which the container is preferably of glass or similar noncorroding material, the lower end of which is easily frangible and will be broken off without difficulty when the extinguisher is to be used. It may operate automatically to extinguish a fire in the manner described or, as will be obvious, it may be removed by hand from the support and manually operated to extinguish the fire by breaking off the lower end 3 and thus releasing the fire extinguishing liquid. Ihe device is simple in construction and cheap to manufacture. Furthermore, it will not deteriorate in use and will remain in condition for long periods of time without corrosion and without subjecting the contents of the container to the action of the air. The further advantages will be obvious to those skilled in the art.

What is claimed as new is:

l. A fire extinguisher including a container of frangible material having a reduced lower end sealing said container, means to strike a blow upon said lower sealing end to break it oii" and provide a small opening from which a stream of 7 liquid is discharged downwardly, said means actbase, upper and lower brackets of wire on said base having loops therein to receive and support said container, the wire of said lower bracket being extended downwardly therefrom, a spring arm formed as a continuation of said lower loop, a hammer on said arm, means to hold said arm retracted including a link restraining said spring arm, said link comprising two plates laterally recessed to engage said arm and. said bracket, and easily fusible means securing said plates together, said hammer acting whenreleased by said link to engage and break said container.

3. A fire extinguisher including a base, a container supported thereon having a reduced lower end forming a frangible seal, a spring arm on said base adjacent said seal, a link, secured to said base and engaging said spring arm, said link including two overlapping plates and a bond of easily fusible metal seeming said plates together, and releasable at a predetermined temperature to allow said arm to strike and break said seal from said container and provide a small outlet for a stream of fluid and means below said container constructed and arranged to be engaged by said stream and to splash said stream laterally and atomize the same.

4. A fire extinguisher including a base, upper and lower brackets thereon, a container supported on said brackets, said container having an easily frangible sealing device at its lower end comprising an elongated tubular member of small cross section closed at its end, a spring arm on said base adjacent said sealing device, a hammer on said arm, and means holding said spring arm retracted from said sealing device, said holding means being releasable in response to an increase in temperature above a predeter-' irined amount to force said hammer to break said sealing means to discharge a stream of fluid downwardly through said tubular member, and a perforated bafile below said container in the path of said stream and'constructed and arranged to splash said fluid into the atmosphere.

. LESLIE B. BURCHFIELD. 

